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Music Lesson Reviews from Students

Students are raving about their Music instructors on TakeLessons.
Check out some of these recent reviews.

Review by Sandra

"We have only had 2 lessons. But my son is very excited."

Las Vegas, NV teacher:
Michelle W.

Review by Cory

"Highly Recommended!

Matt's a great teacher. He's really good at articulating, and helping you visualize, the different things that are going on when you

sing. In the past few months I've noticed a big change in how I look at, and approach, singing.

Really looking forward to continued growth with this teacher!! Highly recommend him!"

...

Bridgeport, CT teacher:
Matthew V.

Review by Robyn

"Barbara Carlisle has helped my daughter with Down Syndrome start getting back her pitch that she had lost by utilizing many types of teaching material

Ba

rbara Carlisle didn't give up when she heard my daughter with Down Syndrome sing all of her notes on the same monotoned pitch. She told me that she would not give up on her if I didn't and she has gotten her to consistently sing Do (C), Re (D), Mi (E)Fa (F) and So (G) and inconsistently sing some more notes. She also has taught my daughter to not give up and to listen and try her best. She utilizes many types of teaching materials such as warm up scale books on a student's level to broadway hits books and other songbooks and songs that will help a student develop his/her range. She also pays attention to good posture and breathing and explains where the breaths should be felt in the person's mouth and also uses silly sounds to get children to make high and low sounds. She is very caring and goes the extra mile and has a beautiful voice herself and also plays the piano and transposes beautifully. We have been transposing most of my daughter's songs to a lower key due to her limited voice range and expanding that slowly. My daughter never balks at going to her lessons, and we are happy with what she has learned and will continue to learn from Barbara!"

...

Lansing, MI teacher:
Barbara C.

Review by matthew

"What a great teacher. Very kind and patient. Definitely knows his stuff. Highly recommend to all."

Winston Salem, NC teacher:
Luke P.

Review by Yolanda

"Best Vocal Teacher Ever!!

Ms tina is an excellent vocal coach, her ability to cover the most important aspects of vocal instruction is very impressive. M

y experience with her has been extremely beneficial. I had been singing 5 plus years and after taking vocal lessons with Ms.Tina I realized I was singing the wrong way and damaging my vocal cords. After working with Ms tina for a little over 1 month I was able to identify correct breathing tecniques, pronunciation, as well as being able to stay on key. Ms tina is extremely professional, patient, reliable and very passionate about helping her student's reach their goals and aspirations in music.Any direction that my signing career goes, I would love to keep her as a vocal coach!"

...

San Bernardino, CA teacher:
Tina B.

Review by April

"Great Experience

Mr. Abernathy is a skilled and enjoyable teacher. I felt good about my session with him. I would definitely work with him again."

Philadelphia, PA teacher:
Corbin A.

Review by Martha

"Wonderful Teacher

(Age and gender refer to my sons at the time of the lessons.) Laima taught piano to both of my sons from 2007 to 2012. She was an excel

lent teacher, helping them to discover a love of playing. From her, they also gained a solid base in music theory. Under her tutelage, both advanced easily (or so it seemed to me the parent) in the annual merit certificate exams. With seven years difference in age, each son had very different needs. Laima had the 'just right' approach for both of them. Gentle, supportive, but also clear with her expectations, she worked with them through ups and downs in their own commitment and effort. She also created wonderful opportunities for them to perform. Both continue to play to this day, with my youngest considering music as a possible career. We were sorry that she moved out of our area in 2012. I recommend her highly!"

...

Portland, OR teacher:
Laima M.

Review by Annie

"Excellent tutor

Having Jonathan as my tutor has been very satisfying. He is a talented musician and an excellent teacher. He is skilled at patiently comm

unicating difficult concepts to those new to music. He made me feel more confident about my strong points while gradually moving me out of my comfort zone. In this way, I learned a great deal more than expected. I left the sessions with a richer understanding and appreciation of chord progressions, tonality, interpretation. I would highly recommend Jonathan to anyone."

...

Richmond, VA teacher:
Jonathan G.

Review by Dawn

"Wonderful teacher

Kelvin has been an excellent instructor for our daughter. He is articulate in a friendly and informative way. She enjoys her online les

sons with Kelvin and has improved her technique within months. He has discovered and adjusted the unhelpful habits that she has developed over years of study. The improved quality of her playing has not only lifted her confidence and inspired her to keep practicing, but it has been recognized by other instructors as well.Thank you Kelvin!"

Diane G.

About Diane

I have a degree and certification in violin and piano from the Boston Conservatory as well as a Master's Degree from the University of Maryland. I have had additional training and certification as a Suzuki teacher from The Suzuki Teacher Training Institute. I am a member of SAGWA-Suzuki Association of the Greater Washington Area as well as SAA-Suzuki Association of the Americas. I have played all around the world including the Vatican, White House, Paris, Russia, England and Wales as well as in Concert Halls such as Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center. I have taken students with me to perfor

m as well in these countries and also every major concert hall in the Washington, D.C. area. I give my students opportunities to perform whenever there is an opportunity. In addition I work with students to earn music scholarships to private schools and colleges. I am also a judge in the Young Artist Award in Maryland. In addition, I have received two White House awards for my performances at the White House, I am also a member of Psi Chi International Honor Society.

Music has been an important part of my life. It represents so much that is good in life and I do my best to communicate this to my students. I am training my students not just to be musicians but to love music for life.

*** Lesson Details ***I treat each student as an individual since everyone is different. For some I might use a traditional approach, some just the Suzuki approach and others a combination of techniques. Whatever produces the best results. My goal is not to make strictly classical musicians but to train students to love music and carry this love throughout life. My repertoire consists of everything including traditional, Suzuki, Disney, Showtunes, etc. I have taken students to perform little concerts at the White House, schools, hospitals and concert halls to get the real feel of performing. I view lessons as a three way relationship between myself, the student and the parent so that the parent is not left out. I even have a small group called Musical Magic which incorporates magic into music. I feel I am laid back but am able to accomplish my goal through positive reinforcement. Every child or student wants to feel good about his/her playing. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible. If you want online lessons, please contact me through Take Lessons since I have additional availability to teach online. In the past six months my students have performed for the National Humane Society at their animal ball, a multi teacher recital on a local stage, and just two weeks ago seven of them performed at Strathmore. This summer I have two more concerts planned. Coming up will be an all instrument graduation with several other teachers where students receive medals for their performances. No student is required to perform but if they want to the opportunity is there. All students are required to have an instrument prior to beginning lessons. If students need to rent a violin, I will provide you with the name of a violin dealer that both rents and sells string instruments. Piano students must have a piano or keyboard.

*** Studio Equipment ***I teach at home and have both a grand piano and electric keyboard in addition to a harp and violin.

*** Travel Equipment ***When my students have to travel to perform, I make sure they have everything they need.

*** Specialties ***Traditional and Suzuki approaches for both violin and piano. I also teach children with learning disabilities.and have extensive summer programs to help students with auditions for youth orchestras and school orchestras.

...

Reviews

Bridgit A. June 23, 2015
Piano ·
In home Verified Student

Ms.Diane is a really good teacher. My daughter has just started lessons with Ms.Diane, but she has really progressed very well from her prior level. Ms.Diane is very patient and fun to work with. Would highly recommend Ms.Diane!

Maria T. June 5, 2015
Piano ·
In home Verified Student

So far, so good. Ms.Diane is an extremely good and understanding teacher.

About Marvin

Taught privately in the Washington DC area for 3 years before moving to NYC to earn my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Music majoring in Jazz Guitar. I am young but very knowledgeable and I have a knack for teaching. I gigged regularly in the DMV and NYC areas and have been doing a lot of shows, private parties, receptions, weddings, and business events. i have made recordings in studios and I am very musically

active. I am extremely passionate, and I live to play, learn, and of course teach the guitar.

*** Lesson Details and Teaching Philosophy ***I love playing guitar and YOU will too!

The guitar is a fantastic instrument and is so much fun to play. I incorporate musical fun into my lesson as much as I can because I want students to learn how to "play" music not "work" music. I have learned from many great musicians that music is driven by passion and should be enjoyable to the performer and this is felt by the audience. Teaching and learning is similar. I enjoy teaching so much and my students always have a smile on their face after the lesson.

Play the music YOU love!

I have learned in my experience that students show the most growth and progress while learning material that they are interested in. I have been trained to be able to play almost any tune I hear, so I can teach my students how to play their favorite tunes exactly how they hear them!

This means that lessons are customized and fine-tuned for every student!

Slow and steady WINS the race!

Learning music is not a race, but this lesson is true when learning music. I am able to work with students to help them improve by identifying and isolating problems in their playing. I can create simple exercises for the student to slowly and surely become closer to the guitarist they wish to be.

I am very flexible and prioritize the students need over everything else. But with everything I teach, I am able to relate back to theory. I show students how to practice effectively to build their chops. And I of course I can instruct the students how to read and write music, with proper technique. I also have an educated background with Theory and Ear Training, all of which I pass on to all my students.

Reviews

My son can't wait every week for his lesson with Marvin. He has learned so much in only five sessions.

Fabio L. March 3, 2016
Guitar ·
In home Verified Student

Marvin has been awesome and I am glad to have found him here in TakeLessons.com. My son and I are taking weekly guitar lessons with Marvin and he has been a great resource and help for knowledge. Both my son and I are beginners and he's has worked with each one of us in different ways, since we both learn differently and have distinct goals. I feel that his recommendations and exercises are helping the two of us and I look forward to keep working with Marvin and making us better players and have fun with the guitar. His patient and calm demeanor are perfect and important traits to effectively teach adult beginners and kids. Thanks Marvin!

Anunoy G. February 12, 2016
Guitar ·
In home Verified Student

Marvin has been teaching guitar to my two sons, 12 and 10 since last June. My boys had never touched a guitar before so they were absolute beginners. Marvin has a soft spoken and easy going style of teaching. He makes the lessons fun for my boys and they look forward to their lessons every week. I would definitely recommend Marvin to anyone looking for a guitar instructor.

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Marvin A.

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Marvin A.

Montgomery Village, MD 20886

(6)

starting at

$25
/ 30-min

Aleksis B.

About Aleksis

My name is Aleksis B., but many of my students know me as Mr. B. I am a professional instructor and performing musician who combines a love of music with a desire to help others who want to achieve their highest musical potential. I try to make that passion show in everything I do.

My education includes classical voice training with Michele Howard Hansen, an opera singer that often performs at the Kennedy Center. I studied piano with Geoffrey Chappell, who writes for Jazz Times. I also received compositional training on multiple instruments from Stanley Cowell, who recorded and performed

with legends like Miles Davis.

I have been performing professionally since 1992. I studied education in college and did my student teaching in a music class at Goshen Elementary School in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

I have been teaching music professionally now for over twenty years. Some students want to take a few lessons to see if it is something they will enjoy, others have worked with me for over a decade. I have mentored several students who have gone on to professional careers. I have experienced a lot of success teaching young children and those with special needs. I have been blessed with a tremendous amount of patience and truly enjoy teaching anyone who wants to learn.

Whatever your goals or abilities, I look forward to working with you!

*** Lesson Details ***Experience fun based lessons as my teaching approach is relaxed and inspirational. I enjoy working with all ages, adjusting my teaching methods to accommodate your learning style and abilities. Learn to play the music you love! You learn best when you enjoy what you are playing, I can help you play along with your favorites or even write your own songs. I always ask my students at the beginning of a lesson "What would you like to do today?" Then structure the lesson accordingly into a routine that the student can practice on their own. Generally the time is divided into warm ups, learning new material, then picking a fun song the student choses. Whether your interest is Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop music, etc... I'm here help you reach your goals so let's make your dreams come true with music together!

*** Specialties ***With Voice I specialize in helping people prepare for auditions such as American Idol. I have students who simply want to be karaoke stars. I have several professional singers that hire me as a voice coach and producer for recording sessions. I have taught children as young as 2 and those that retired with a lifelong dream to sing. Though my training is classical, I can teach Jazz, Pop, Rock, Rap, R&B, etc...whatever is fun for the student. I highly recommend learning to read music but I do not push it unless parents want their child to.

With Piano I can teach traditionally from Alfred and Bastien Piano Courses depending if they are auditory or visual learners. For Kinesthetic learners I use Hanon scale exercises and Rothman Rhythm Exercises. For those that want to learn notation I introduce classical and Jazz composers unless there is a popular artist/band/movie theme etc...that they would like to learn. However I do not push students to read music unless their parents would prefer it. I tend to keep more students that want to learn to play by ear especially adults by using rhythm training and music theory exercises and then applying them to songs they love. For piano I haven't had much success with children younger than 3. I also have a lot experience working with special needs children.

For Guitar I teach Classical, Acoustic, and Electric all styles and genres. I encourage sight reading but don't mind using tabs. I use more exercises with these students, since the first month students have a hard time making a sound. I try to make the lessons fun by having students strum chords along with songs they chose. I teach lead and rhythm even songwriting and composition. Job satisfaction for me is seeing my students leave a lesson with a smile on their face so I make sure to be a fun based teacher that doesn't give the student a hard time about not practicing.

For Recording and Performance I use the knowledge I gained doing Pro Audio Sales for Guitar Center from 2000-2002 to help clients build their own home studio. I have lots of producers and engineers I work with on a regular basis to produce broadcast quality audio and video recordings and help my students use their lessons and pre-production for those opportunities. I can teach Garage Band or Pro Tools classes on navigating the software and utilizing all the commands. I can also teach room acoustics and using the right microphone and how to position them with the right equipment and the right acoustics to get the best possible tone that they are looking for. I can also teach editing, mixing, looping, sampling, midi, and mastering so that the student can eventually work on their own writing, performing, and recording their music.

...

Reviews

Rafael E. October 6, 2016
Acoustic Guitar ·
In home Verified Student

He is great!!!

Nelson Y. September 19, 2016
Guitar ·
In home Verified Student

He's cool and fun, also very flexible with learning approaches and great with kids, just what our 8-yr-old needs.

Hazel H. May 17, 2016
Piano ·
In home Verified Student

Great!

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Aleksis B.

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Aleksis B.

Germantown, MD 20876

(17)

starting at

$37
/ 30-min

Austin G.

About Austin

Music is something that everyone can share and express themselves through, and i want to help everyone to find that avenue of expression! I studied drums at the Drummers Collective in New York City, where i studied several genres of music. I play everything from rock, jazz, soul, R&B, Caribbean, and Latin music. If a student is interested in a certain style of music i would be happy to dive into that further, or explore other genres that may peek interest. The difference between me and many other teachers is that i genuinely love teaching and watching my students grow as players and music

ians. I am excited to say that I am now set up to teach online! If you have Skype or FaceTime and live anywhere in the continental United States, I am available for drum lessons!

*** Lesson Details *** I'm here to motivate students to be the best they can be, and to answer any questions or concerns they may have about their instrument. I teach out of several books that will help develop and improve, technique, reading, and listening skills. Unlike some, i don't just "go through the motions" when teaching. I like to adapt to the students specific style of learning, so they have fun while developing a solid understanding of the material as well as practice habits. I also distribute recommended listening and encourage students to create their own rhythms and/or songs to develop musical creativity. My goal as a teacher is to cater to the wants and needs of the student, as well as create a solid foundation of rhythm and music history.

*** Studio Equipment ***2 drum sets. One electric and one acoustic. Congas and bongos. Piano, bass guitar, and webcam. Open and comfortable space with plenty of room for a parent to sit in on lessons.

*** Travel Equipment ***metronome, and practice pads

*** Specialties ***Rock, Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Caribbean

...

Reviews

Seynan C. February 18, 2016
Drum ·
In studio Verified Student

Austin is really a great teacher! He is so patient and have a lot of funny ways to help my son enjoys playing drums!

Andrew O. November 25, 2015
Drum ·
In home Verified Student

Very good teacher. He definitely knows music

Lethe L. May 14, 2015
Drum ·
In studio Verified Student

Great teacher! :)

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Austin G.

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Austin G.

Rockville, MD 20853

(14)

starting at

$40
/ 30-min

Louis J.

About louis

Louis J. has over 20 years of experience playing and teaching piano. He has traveled across the states performing and opening for various artists such as Jonathan Butler and Donnie McClurklin. Mr. J. studied classical piano with Patricia King and studied jazz piano with Harry Appleman at Montgomery College. He received his B.S. degree from High Point University.﻿While in college, he studied music theory and music composition. His musical influences range from Mozart to Oscar Peterson. Although his primary instrument is piano, he also plays guitar, bass, drums, and the organ. He currently ser

ves as the Director of Music at a local church in Alexandria, Va. Mr. J. performs regularly throughout the DC metro area as a studio session musician, music director, and accompanist.

...

Reviews

Ary March 7, 2016
Piano ·
In studio Verified Student

Very patient and truly connects with the student!

Grace S. December 29, 2015
Piano ·
In home Verified Student

Really appreciate Louis working me into his schedule and listening to me about what I hope to get out of piano lessons. He is a thoughtful teacher and I am excited about learning a lot from him.

Tamir O. December 7, 2015
Piano ·
In home Verified Student

Our 9-year old daughter has now had 5 lessons with Louis. The difference between these lessons and the lessons with her previous teacher are night and day. She is excited about the lessons, looks forward to each one, and enjoys practicing. She loves piano again. Louis is absolutely brilliant. He combines a strong classical foundation with enjoyable modern songs, which he often transposes or simplifies himself to the level of his students at that time. He makes the lessons fun and engaging. As a piano player myself, I've had many teachers over the years, and Louis is the best I've seen. I'm tempted to start lessons for myself again!

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